Volkswagen Opens New Plant In South Eastern China

The Volkswagen Group is continuing to expand its production capacity as planned, by opening a new plant in China. Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft, and Prof. Dr. Jochem Heizmann, Member of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft Board of Management and President and CEO of Volkswagen Group China, were today joined by Hu Maoyuan, Chairman of SAIC Motor Corporation Ltd., to inaugurate Shanghai-Volkswagen’s new plant in Ningbo, south eastern China. The plant is designed for an annual production capacity of 300,000 vehicles. The Ningbo plant is located about 150km south of Anting (greater Shanghai are) and will create 5,700 new jobs. The plant has a total annual capacity of 300,000 vehicles and it has its own press, body and paint shops plus a final assembly unit.

OneShift Editorial Team

25 Oct 2013

Volkswagen has set new standards for sustainable, resource-efficient automobile production in China. Advanced processes coupled with measures to reduce energy consumption and emissions are key elements in this strategy. For example, steam from the condensers is used to heat water in Ningbo. Water consumption in the paint shop is cut by 90 per cent compared with conventional processes and annual CO2 emissions are reduced by 15,000 tonnes.

The Ningbo factory is Shanghai-Volkswagen’s fifth vehicle plant. The joint venture currently operates vehicle plants in Anting, Nanjing and Yizheng, Jiangsu province. In addition, production at the plant in Urumqi, Xinjiang region, commenced a few weeks ago. A further plant in Changsha, south central China, is scheduled for completion in 2015.

China is the Volkswagen Group’s largest sales market. In 2012, the company and its partners Shanghai-Volkswagen and FAW-Volkswagen delivered 2.81 million vehicles to customers in China. In the first nine months of this year, deliveries rose some 18 per cent compared with the same prior-year period to 2.36 million vehicles. The Volkswagen Group is aiming to expand annual production capacity to approximately 4 million vehicles by 2018.

Credits: Oneshift News Team